Knowledge is power.
We’ve all heard this refrain at one time or another, and for good reason. Information that is leveraged in systematic ways can greatly impact the outcome of a scenario. Information that is leveraged in systematic ways can greatly impact the outcome of a scenario. Moreover, the ability to generate knowledge entails certain dynamics of power. Researchers have the power to define what questions get asked, how the answers to these questions get answered, and what counts as evidence.
At FWAF, we leverage research and partnerships with academic and community-based organizations to center community concerns and perspectives through systematic inquiry. Rather than reproducing social relations that situate communities as “subjects” of inquiry, we rely on research to empower community members by identifying community concerns and needs as research questions to be examined through systematic inquiry. The research we participate in is carried out to highlight the systemic factors that place farmworkers and rural communities at risk for negative health and social outcomes. Data and insights generated from our research is used to design interventions to improve conditions that negatively impact farmworking communities at the local level, and to advocate for policy and regulatory changes to increase farmworker occupational health and safety and overall wellbeing.
FWAF has research expertise in the following thematic areas: Heat Stress, Pesticides, Reproductive Health, Workplace Ergonomics, Citrus Worker Eye Safety, and Occupational Health.
